Cruz team on Haley endorsement: ‘Rubio has to win here’

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Ted Cruz’s campaign is trying to make the most of Gov. Nikki Haley’s endorsement of Marco Rubio days ahead of the South Carolina primary: driving sky-high his political expectations here.

“If he doesn’t finish first, this is a massive loss,” Jason Miller, a senior Cruz adviser, said hours after news reports began circulating that Haley would endorse Rubio at a rally Wednesday evening. “Rubio has to win here.”

Earlier this week, Jeb Bush had called Haley’s endorsement “the most powerful, meaningful one in the state.” Haley’s backing of Rubio comes on top of the support of Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy, who cut a new radio ad for Rubio on Wednesday.

“He has the very popular sitting governor, very popular junior senator, very popular upstate congressman. He has every favorable position going for him that he could ever hope to have,” Miller said of Rubio. “If Rubio can’t win here, under these favorable circumstances, where can he win?”

Current polls show Rubio and Cruz battling each other for second place far behind South Carolina front-runner Donald Trump. Cruz and Rubio have engaged in a war of words in recent days, with each accusing the other of lying about his record. Both senators, who sit second and third in most national polls, have vowed to campaign through Super Tuesday, March 1.

“From the beginning, they had a 3-2-1 strategy of finishing third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire and first in South Carolina,” Miller said of Rubio’s campaign. “Anything short of a first-place finish in South Carolina for Marco Rubio is a loss.”